Teach me about what I bought - Volvo C30

I have nothing much to add except ive always hated how the c30 looks from the back.....

untchabl said:

After reading about John Welsh's success with it and seeing so many people on YouTube doing it, a few weeks ago I joined IAAI and I've been watching and bidding on a few cars. Today my wife's luck ran out and I actually won an auction.

So I need the hive to teach me about what I bought. I've never owned a Volvo before but now I'm the proud owner of a 2008 C30 with minor front end damage and no clue about maintenance history. It's got 120k miles and judging by the stickers on the windows was owned by a college girl.

What kind of service should I do before I put it back on the road? I plan to make it my DD. Timing belt, water pump?

Looks like my best bet is to purchase a complete S40 as a donor car for all the front end parts I need to replace all the damaged sheet metal. Best I can tell is they use the same body parts on the front of the cars.

Couple pictures on the trailer at the auction yard. Both front fenders are in the car and in good condition. Headlights are junk.

Score!  C30s are stupid-valuable on the used market.  They didn't sell many of them new, and NOW people realize "Hey, these are basically Mazda3s/Mazdaspeed3s that have adult interiors and don't rust as fast as Italian cars" so everyone wants one.

Yes, it's built on the second-gen Focus chassis that we didn't get in the US as a Focus, just as the C30/S40/V50 and the Mazda3/Mazdaspeed3.  It is interesting that the Volvo version is on the top of "best rustproofing" charts and the Mazda3 is on the top of the "most rust-prone" chart.  Same chassis but they do things a bit better in Sweden than in Hiroshima.

Yes do the timing belt, do NOT do the water pump unless you get a $$$ Volvo pump.  I have never seen a Volvo whiteblock pump fail, but I've seen aftermarket pumps fail.  Continental has a kit with the idler pulley/tensioner, use that.  To do the belt "right" requires a special tool to lock the cams on the backside of the head, and removing the starter to access the crank lock plug.  Mark the cams to the old belt, transfer the marks to the new belt, install new belt to those marks, and you will be fine.  (At least one of the cams, possibly both, will not be keywayed, so don't remove the cam pullies unless you have the locking tools to set everything back in alignment)

Make 100% absolutely, positively sure that the C30 and S40 have the same nose bits.  They may not!  Volvo was kind of fond of making model-specific body panels.  Every other panel on the C30 is different from S40, why should the nose be any exception?  If I remember right, Jim Ellis doesn't just do Audi, they do Volvo, and they have the OEM parts catalogs online, so right there should be a good resource for cross referencing part numbers.

On the other hand, I remember from my VW days that people liked to swap Jetta noses on Golfs and Golf noses on Jettas, so maybe possibly the parts might swap even though they are different.  (Offer does not apply to final-gen US model Escorts and ZX2s - the side profile is massively different)

My experience with these cars is somewhat limited, but the ATE calipers are garbage.  Gavno.  Scheisse.  Kuso-gane.  Do not pass go, do not collect $200, but do remove the slide pins, wire wheel them, and lube the everloving crap out of them on a regular basis, since they are not sealed from the elements.  (Half of why I wanted an S60R over a regular S60 is so I wouldn't have a car infected with ATE calipers)

So I think you are saying that the headlights and front bumper of the S40 is different from the C30.  

What does this different mean?

Does it mean that yes, they have slightly different front bumpers and headlights to give each a slightly distinctive look?

But...could you actually mount the front bumper of a S40 to the C30?  The result being a C30 with the wrong nose but only distinguishable to someone who REALLY knows Volvo?  The average person wouldn't notice?

EDIT: at the same time Knurled gave the Jetta/Golf example getting at the same point I was trying to make.  

TurnerX19 said:

Remember, this is a FORD.....

It's as much a Ford as, say, an Aston Martin or Jaguar.

At the time it was built, FoMoCo was having Mazda design the small chassis and 4 cylinder engines (the MZR/Duratec), Volvo did the mid-size and full size chassis and were allowed to have their own line of engines, and Ford did the V6 and V8 engines.  The C30/S40/V50 is a Swedish-built Mazda chassis with a Volvo drivetrain.  (Well, Volvo engine, with either an Aisin-Warner or Getrag transmission, and Bosch electronics.  "...ALL MADE IN TAIWAN!")

Interestingly, the Focus RS that we didn't get, on this chassis, had a Volvo 5-cylinder engine in it.  Same one as in my S60R, albeit with a different turbo, but the same extra-long stroke and heavily revised ports and water jackets.  Not sure if I'd ever want to drive my car in a smaller chassis with front wheel drive like the RS was, Revo Knuckles or not.

John Welsh said:

So I think you are saying that the headlights and front bumper of the S40 is different from the C30.  

What does this different mean?

Does it mean that yes, they have slightly different front bumpers and headlights to give each a slightly distinctive look?

But...could you actually mount the front bumper of a S40 to the C30?  The result being a C30 with the wrong nose but only distinguishable to someone who REALLY knows Volvo?  The average person wouldn't notice?

EDIT: at the same time Knurled gave the Jetta/Golf example getting at the same point I was trying to make.  

The hood, hood hinges and upper radiator support are the same part numbers between the S40 and C30. I'm not sure if the headlights and bumper are actually different fitment wise or if they are simply different styles. If I can find nice condition headlights and front bumper at the junkyard this weekend, I may just buy them and see if they will fit. Shouldn't be too expensive with the 40% off.

With the radiator support being the same between the two, it seems likely that the bumper and headlights would be able to bolt on. Fenders are different however, so that may be where the fitment issues would require different bumper and headlights.

Fog lights are the shared between the S40 and C30, along with the plastic panel that covers the radiator under the hood.

untchabl said:

Mine is a T5 automatic.

IIRC, all C30s were turbo.  ("T5" in Volvospeak means an engine that makes between 201 and 250hp, it's mostly coincidence that it's a 5 cylinder.  T4 is 161-200hp, T3 is something scrody-low up to 160hp)

The turbo engine in your car has a peak torque of something like 268ft-lb because that is the torque limit of the AW55 transmission in the car.  From inference, the main torque limitation is the final drive, since noisy pinion bearings are common on these (hell, my 4 cylinder S40 had a grumbly AW55, they all kinda did) and the 300hp/300ft-lb S60R that had this transmission was torque limited in 1st and 2nd gears but was free to build its full potential in 3rd and higher.

Given that you do not have all wheel drive (no C30s did, sadly) you will probably run out of traction long before you can hurt the transmission.  But do at least be mindful that you CAN hurt it if you decided to do the natural thing and add a tune and up the boost.

The other downside of this chassis:  There really isn't room for a decent sized turbo or manifold.  You won't really be making much more power without a lot of work.  Speaking again from personal experience, 90% of why I originally hunted for an S60R instead of an all wheel drive S40 (all AWD S40s were turbo) was that, even with an aftermarket tune, the base limitations of the stock turbo meant that I would never be able to get as much power as a STOCK S60R.  Also, AWD S40s were going for $8-10k at the time while S60Rs were about half that.  C30s were going for about the same as AWD S40s!

In reply to Knurled. :

For now the plan is to fix the damage and do some maintenance. After I drive it for awhile and decide if I want to keep it, then I may start some upgrades. Probably only intake and exhaust mods, if they actually make a difference.

Yes do the timing belt, do NOT do the water pump unless you get a $$$ Volvo pump.  I have never seen a Volvo whiteblock pump fail, but I've seen aftermarket pumps fail.

In general i agree with your statement, but I did actually end up replacing the pump on my mom's last 03 s80 (i bought her another one recently) at around 150k. I had done the belt around 95-100. I am supposed to be doing the belt on her 'new' one since at 120k it looks original circa '03 and it's plausible that noone did anything at all to the car. I think the plugs are original too.  

In reply to Vigo :

Just FYI, I've had a few aftermarket pumps fail in the 20-30k range.

AFAIK the one in the S40 that I bought at 206k and sold at ???k to EvanB who has probably put five billion more miles on it, is still the OE pump.  I bought it from work after we had been planning to use it as a loaner vehicle, and "we" ("I") did a whole lot of maintenance and repair but the water pump was not on that list.  The pump in my current Volvo which rolled over 200k recently is also OE.  At least, the comprehensive list of maintenance the PO did shows a timing belt at 110k but never a water pump.  (Hmm, I should probably do the belt this summer)

Anecdotes aren't data but they add to it...

Gave the C30 a quick wash after work this afternoon. Just wanted to get all the sand/dust off from sitting in the auction lot. Tomorrow I'm off to the junkyard to hopefully get some parts to start fixing the front end.

I was followed by one of these on the highway for a while the other day, until he finally caught up and passed me.

I don't care about what some people say, the hatch treatment on the C30 looks great.

Could a moderator move this to the builds section? Going to keep documenting the rebuild process.

I love these. I think they’re really good looking cars. 

untchabl said:

Could a moderator move this to the builds section? Going to keep documenting the rebuild process.

Your wish is my...

Had a successful trip to the junkyard today, picked up a hood, hinges and a radiator support. Should be able to start test fitting the front end parts this week.

- auction purchase price - $1,293.00

- u-pull-it parts - $101.27

Budget total - $1,394.27

Gastropods!!!!

Dusterbd13-michael said:

Gastropods!!!!

Front bumper and headlights are going to put me over challenge budget. Plus I need to do timing belt and other maintenance. 

The junkyard radiator support had been mangled on the driver side by someone at the junkyard who apparently needed to remove the headlight and fender but only had a hammer and prybar for tools. Luckily the original radiator support was undamaged on that side so we drilled out the spot welds and removed the damaged piece and the good piece. We'll weld it back in after we get more of the front end lined up.

Today I got the radiator support and hood swapped over. Then I bolted on the fenders to see how it all looked. Fenders are worse than we thought, seemed to be bowed up and out in the middle. Horrible gaps everywhere around the hood. Maybe we can fix them or maybe I'll have to get new ones.

At 120k miles it’s time to think about doing the oil separator and the PCV lines. Or did they fix that particular problem by the time the C30’s came around?

It’s kind of annoying to do but it will stop oil from being pushed out everywhere. Only buy the Volvo OEM kit, the aftermarket stuff (in my experience) is junk. 

Located a complete front bumper and both front fenders at a junkyard in Louisiana. Hopefully they shipped out today. Now I need to order the headlights and all the maintenance parts.

Saw this 

https://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/cto/d/glendale-2009-volvo-c30-design-low/6788471765.html

aside from terrible color - really like it 

Big pallet of parts was waiting for me when I got home from work today. The junkyard did a really good job of wrapping and packaging all the parts so none seem to be damaged from the trip. Guess my body work education is about to start. Start sanding everything to get ready for the first coat of primer.

orthoxstice said:

At 120k miles it’s time to think about doing the oil separator and the PCV lines. Or did they fix that particular problem by the time the C30’s came around?

No.  All Volvo whiteblock engines eventually will have PCV issues.  The breather box gunks up, the passages in the engine gunk up.  With the turbo 5 cylinder engines there is also a check valve equipped banjo bolt that will gunk up.  Sometimes you have to drop the oil pan to clear out the main oil drainback passage, which has a channel in the oil pan so that it can drain down under the oil level, and this is the easy way to rod-out the passage in the oil pan and the passage in the block.

It's criminal that Volvo recommends a 7500mi oil change interval, with oil no more special than API SL or SM or whatever was current.  It's a heavily turbocharged all aluminum engine.  Use ACEA rated synthetics (not just API - ACEA tests high heat durability), change every 3000-4000 miles, and be happy.

If it isn't heaving oil from every orifice and/or blowing the dipstick out of the dipstick tube, I wouldn't worry about it.  The breather box is cheap, 2 of the hoses are cheap, but the main hose is massively expensive. Wait for it to start blowing the dipstick out or for the FU hose from the box to the valve cover to fail (requires intake manifold removal to change) and then do it all at once.  I think IPD even sells a kit of parts so you don't have to play games figuring out what you need.

Man I am looking at these again 

mr2s2000elise said:

Man I am looking at these again 

Looking forward to driving it, only got to take it up and down my road a few times but it seems like it's going to be fun.